Fish Mate P21 Pond Fish Feeder

Operation

1. Remove battery cover at rear by levering back edge with a coin, insert battery and switch on timing mechanism. Check battery operation by visible movement of gearwheel near "Battery Check". Replace battery cover.
2. Depress front cover retainer on side of feeder and hinge back.
3. Remove clear hopper lid by pulling on its edge and fill hopper body with the required food. Fill only between baffles. Do not overfill. Replace hopper lid ensuring it is fully clipped down onto hopper body. Set Feed Control. Shut front cover.
4. Set required time delay to start of daily meal by rotating hopper anti-clockwise through bottom of feeder. If the hopper has been set for the meal to start in approximately 6 hours, food will then be dispensed gradually over a period of approximately 5 hours, as this is best for the fish. Place feeder in its operating position.

Feed Control The Fish Mate P21 feeder is particularly suited for use with floating food sticks, but is also suitable for use with all popular fish foods. However, care is required to use the correct baffle and "FEED CONTROL" setting to obtain the consistently correct meal size. The table in the User Guide will serve as a guide, but it is always best to test.

Please consult your fish food instructions or aquatic dealer to ascertain the exact amount of food for your fish. The correct baffle is easily fitted to the hopper body by sliding in/out of its recess in the hopper body. The maximum number of meals will normally range from about 40 for a small pond or aquarium to 8 for a large pond.

Testing your FISH MATE feeder before use

Your Fish Mate feeder is made from top quality materials, and is assembled to comply with rigorous quality standards. However, Fish Mate does recommend that before use you supervise its correct operation and feed setting over a period of at least 3 days.

To test the feeder, fill it with your normal fish food and leave to operate over a bowl or similar receptacle, so that the correct timing and amount of food dispensed can be observed. Note that manual rotation of the hopper does not give a true indication of the meal size, due to the very different speed of rotation.

If leaving your fish for long periods, we do recommend that someone periodically checks the feeder to ensure that all is well.

Mounting of Feeder

Ponds: It is recommended that the feeder is positioned about 25-30cm (10-12 inches) above the pond water level, and at least 20cm (8 inches) in from the edge of the pond. If the feeder is sited too low problems may be experienced with excessive moisture caused by rain splashing up under the feeder. If the feeder is too high or too near the edge of the pond, the food may be blown away from the water.

The feeder may be mounted using its quick release bracket or the hanging loop. It is normally recommended to use the bracket which may be attached, with the screw supplied, to a suitable length of wooden, metal or plastic post of approx. 30mm square (1 1/4 inches square). The post may be driven into the ground at any angle, but the end of the post should be cut vertically or horizontally before attachment of the bracket, in order to ensure that the feeder base is parallel to the water. "In Pond" location may be provided by setting a vertical post in concrete. (The concrete should be chemically neutralized before placing in the pond). Ensure there is sufficient concrete to provide a stable base for the feeder.

Aquariums: The feeder bracket may be bonded to the aquarium glass in the required position using silicone sealant. The bottom of the feeder should be at least 25mm (1") above the water surface, as excessive humidity may cause food to stick.

Maintenance

Your Fish Mate pond feeder should require no maintenance. However, care should be taken to prevent food getting into the mechanism behind the hopper. It is not recommended that the feeder is left outside during prolonged periods of wet weather.